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Need help immediately?

If there is a life-threatening safety concern, please call 9-1-1 or go to the Emergency Department at your nearest hospital.

Suicide prevention hotline: 1-800-784-2433

BC Crisis Line: 604-310-6789

Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868

Indigenous Crisis and Support Line - KUU-US Crisis Support Line: 1-800-588-8717

Harm reduction: Toward the Heart 

Downtown Eastside (DTES) Connections is a low-barrier addiction medicine clinic serving all people with substance use disorders.

The clinic provides same-day assessment and treatment for substance use disorders that include opioids, alcohol, nicotine, GHB, cannabis, stimulants and benzodiazepines. It offers access to opioid agonist therapy and other treatments. Connections also provides local outreach, referrals to bed-based and other psychosocial treatments, harm reduction supplies, and care that takes psychological and social factors into account.

Connections offers care to anyone without a prescriber, or those who have a prescriber but need bridge prescriptions. The clinic accepts drop-in clients or direct referrals from VCH and non-VCH services. These may include DTES Primary Care sites, non-VCH community partners, hospitals, Access Central – Detox Referral phone line, Overdose Outreach Team (OOT), Lighthouse Virtual Substance Use Care Clinic, Providence Health Care Rapid Access Addiction Clinic (RAAC), Home Health, the Evelyne Saller Centre, and WISH Drop-in Centre Society.

DTES Connections' goal is to provide low-barrier, same-day access to substance use services and then connect clients to appropriate community-based health services. These services may include primary care clinics or bed-based recovery services.

DTES Connections is open seven days per week and is currently accepting new clients.
 

How to access

  • Check eligibility

    People living or regularly interacting within the DTES and have a history of opioid use disorder. Do not have a family doctor currently offering opiate agonist treatment.

  • Get a referral or walk in

    We are open to intakes from all referral sources and to walk-ins.

Hours of operation

Currently open
  • Monday:   8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
  • Tuesday:   8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
  • Wednesday:   8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
  • Thursday:   8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
  • Friday:   8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
  • Saturday:   8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
  • Sunday:   8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Downtown Eastside Connections

Downtown Eastside (DTES) Connections is a low-barrier addiction medicine clinic serving all people with substance use disorders. This clinic offers same-day access to treatment for substance use disorders, including opioid agonist therapy, and can connect clients to appropriate community-based health services.

Addiction Medicine

Addiction medicine includes clinical assessments, consultations, treatment planning and aftercare for people struggling with substances such as alcohol and opioids.